BRITISH ARMY JEEP RESEARCH
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1950-1960

The Jeep fights on alongside newer replacements.

The first Land Rovers were manufactured in 1948 and quickly showed their worth in a military application. The Austin Champ, a purpose designed and contracted military vehicle, was also introduced in 1952 to replace the ageing jeep. But the jeep was robust, simple to repair and maintain, and continued to serve alongside these new vehicles for many years to come. To the right can be seen an imaginative army solution to storing all three vehicles in service at that time. Jeep on top, Land Rover in the middle, and Champ on the bottom.

In 1949 the British army re-organised its vehicles with a new system of identification. Throughout WW2 they were given a census number. Jeeps and light utility vehicles/cars started with an M (ex - M5571103). In 1949 this was replaced by the ERM system. All jeeps (and other WW2 light vehicles) in army service were given the suffix YH or YJ, with two numbers either side of this suffix. This totaled approximately twelve thousand vehicles. YH was the more common, accounting for approximately ten thousand of those vehicles.

Though this process officially began in 1949, the earliest known photos showing jeeps with this registration date to 1950. In fact, many jeeps in 1950 still wore census numbers.

Picture
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  • Home
    • About us
    • Mission Statement
    • Owner Stories
  • Intro
    • How to recognise a British Jeep
  • Jeep in WW2
  • 1945-50
  • 1950-1960
  • M15 Rebuilds
  • RAF/RN
  • Photo Gallery
  • MORE INFO
    • Contact
    • WW2 Jeep Guide
    • Research your Jeeps History
    • FAQ
    • Recommended Reading
    • Looking to buy a Jeep?
    • Your British Jeep Impression